


Silent Night

by TheFreeJoker42



Series: Belated Whumptober 2019 (Toku Edition) [1]
Category: Kamen Rider Ryuki
Genre: Day 1. Shaky Hands, Whumptober 2019, canon character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 13:57:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21119927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFreeJoker42/pseuds/TheFreeJoker42
Summary: Tezuka’s first night alone





	Silent Night

****Tezuka had always found comfort in the sweet melodic sounds of the piano. He spent almost every evening sitting beside Yuichi as his fingers softly danced across the keys. Hours upon hours could fly by unnoticed, Tezuka lost in the music. 

The sun would set, the room illuminated by flickering candles alone, as Tezuka gently lowered his head, resting on Yuichi’s shoulder. 

“Hey, you’d better not be falling asleep on me.” Yuichi would joke, playfully nudging Tezuka. 

The first time Tezuka had laid eyes on Yuichi, he had been sitting at a public piano. The instrument had become a part of him, and it was almost odd to see him without it. He was his most confident self when he played, and that alone was enough to cause such calmness and ease in Tezuka. 

On a few rare occasions, Tezuka _ would _fall asleep on his shoulder, and wake up later in bed. He always blamed Yuichi for intentionally playing softer music, he was clearly doing it on purpose! Yuichi would always deny such claims. 

Even when away from the piano, music was on his mind. His fingers would tap the worktop when cooking, and against his leg when they travelled. Even when they walked together, hand in hand, Tezuka could feel subtle twitches in his fingers. 

The attack happened so fast, neither of them had time to process it. They’d been walking in the snow, festive lights flickering around them as Christmas music filled the air, when suddenly Yuichi was on the floor, screaming his throat raw. 

“Yuichi!” 

At that moment, everything around him blurred. The individual lights bled together and the Christmas music was muffled. All he could see was the blood, and all he could hear were the cries of anguish. 

He held Yuichi in his arms, screaming for someone to help. But everyone had ran. They were on their own. 

“It’s okay, you’re okay, just hang in there.” Tezuka soothed, gently brushing Yuichi’s hair from his face, before digging through his pocket for his phone, fearful it may have been smashed in the altercation. 

He spent every hour he could by Yuichi’s side, waiting for the second he was allowed to visit, and making no attempt to leave until the nurse kicked him out - though he was grateful for the few times they had conveniently forgotten about him. 

It wasn’t until a tray of food was brought for the first time that it truly set in for Tezuka. He sat on the hospital bed, Yuichi resting against him, and carefully helped him eat. And Yuichi accepted the help at first. He was hurt, and it was Tezuka. 

But time passed, he was discharged, and he wasn’t getting better. 

“Tezuka…” 

Tezuka looked up, his hands around Yuichi’s collar. While he was still in hospital, Tezuka had splurged on a few jumpers and pull-over shirts, easier for Yuichi to manage himself than anything with buttons. But sometimes, a little extra help was needed, like straightening his collar for example. 

“I can trust you to be honest, can’t I?” 

Tezuka smiled, and nodded. “Always.” 

There was a brief pause, Yuichi biting his lip, before continuing. “Are you… still happy? With me, I mean. I don’t want you to feel that you’re stuck with me.” 

“Hey, what happened to ‘till death do us part’? You really think I’d leave you over something like this?”

Yuichi offered a small wistful smile, and lowered his gaze. “We’re not married, Tezuka. It doesn’t count.” 

Tezuka sighed, and cupped Yuichi’s cheeks. “You are the most important person in my life. Your injury changes nothing, least of all the fact that I love you more than life itself.” 

Yuichi giggled softly. “Charmer.” 

“You will get past this. I have faith in you.” He pressed a soft kiss to Yuichi’s lips, before wrapping his arms around him. “I’ll always be happy, for as long as I’m with you.” 

It was a few weeks until Yuichi was strong enough to go downstairs, though he still had to lean on Tezuka for balance. The once comforting piano was now a dark, looming presence, daring him to approach. 

“I want to try.” 

Tezuka nodded slowly. “Are you sure?” 

“I _ have _to try.” 

Yuichi had occasionally tried to teach Tezuka, but his fingers weren’t having any of it. Though more than that, he could not get his head around reading music, so Yuichi would take Tezuka’s hands in his own, and play for him. Tezuka hated himself for not trying harder, for being unable to do the same for Yuichi. 

His hands hovered over the keys, shaking uncontrollably. He slowly, unsurely, lowered his hands, pressing the keys, and instantly winced in pain. Tezuka had to bite his lip to stay quiet. He tried again, but his eyes squeezed closed and he cried out. It wasn’t until the first tear fell that Tezuka allowed himself to wrap his arms around Yuichi. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” 

He held him for what seemed like hours, until Yuichi’s tears had tried up, and then some. Nothing was said, nothing _ could _be said. He just rested his head on his shoulder, and held him in a warm, silent embrace. 

A few days later, he stood at the door with bags in his hands, when he heard the sound of muffled voices. He couldn’t quite hear what they were saying, just that they were there. Yuichi hadn’t accepted any visitors since the accident. But when he opened the door, the voices stopped, and Yuichi was alone, sitting by his piano, with an emotionless expression on his face. 

“Yuichi?” 

Tezuka set the bags aside, and rushed to him. 

“Yuichi, what is it?” 

He was silent for a moment, staring unfocused in front of him. Tezuka waited patiently, a hand on Yuichi’s leg, until he noticed something new sitting on the side of the piano. Something red and rectangular. 

“What’s this?” He asked, unassumingly picking it up. 

“Don’t touch that!” Yuichi screamed, trying to snatch it out of his hands, only for it to slip through his fingers, and yelped in pain. 

“Yuichi!” Tezuka gently grasped his arms and pulled him close. “Talk to me. What happened?” 

It was only an hour ago. But it was the loneliest hour he’d ever known. 

“I won’t fight. Even if… my fingers started working how I wanted again… I wouldn’t want to fight someone for it.” 

Tezuka was silent. He should have said something. He should have _ done _something. Anything. Hugged him. Pat his leg. Hold his hand. But he wanted to give Yuichi the space to talk. Comfort would come later. 

“Why did it have to be this? I’d be willing to do anything else.” 

He couldn’t remember when he’d stopped screaming. Or when he’d collapsed onto the floor in a quietly sobbing mess. But he had no intention of picking himself up any time soon. It was already too still and quiet. Their house had instantly grown in size, a blanket of silence smothering him. 

The card deck weighed heavily in his hands. He flinched when Yuichi was attacked, and he lost his grip against the monster, but if he’d failed to protect him in life, he’d be damned sure to honoured him in death.

**Author's Note:**

> Le gasp! Can it be? A fic that isn’t about Woz? Surely not! 
> 
> Welp, it's the 21st of October, and this is the first prompt of Whumptober. I didn't decide to even do this until a few days ago. But the prompt list said you can do it whenever, so here I am. Even if it may take me up until... next Whumptober 
> 
> Also does this even count as whump? I may have made it a bit too tame


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